Subbuteo was invented by Peter Adolph in the village of Langton Green in Kent in 1947 The game was manufactured in Langton Green until the 1970s It took off after being marketed at hobby and toy fairs Inventor Peter Adolph was a big fan of Queens Park Rangers Peter Adolph created Subbuteo figures of the Beatles during their 1960s heyday Subbuteo branched out into rugby, cricket, hockey, angling and baseball games By the 1980s Subbuteo figures were available in the kits of hundreds of different teams from around the world Players could also buy a TV gantry complete with cameraman and commentator And Subbuteo also produced stands to surround the pitch, with fans to sit in them - which you could paint by hand And should the fans get too rowdy the Subbuteo riot police were on hand to deal with them A Subbuteo manager, complete with sheepskin coat and trilby, could watch over the action Subbuteo is now viewed by some people as a sport and has its own European and World Championships
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